Study Stops: Enjoying Florence During Finals

So unfortunately as most of us are trying to give Florence one last farewell before we leave, final exams are interrupting our plans. Yet there’s a way around that. Study outside of your room and outside of the school. What reason is there to not study in a prime, Florentine location? Some of the stops below let you gorge on excellent pastries, sip Italian coffee, and use your Uffizi pass to cut the line in front of all the tourists. So have at it.

The Uffizi has plenty of nice-sized benches throughout the sun-filled corridor on the upper floor. If the day is nice, I’d recommend going outside on the caffé terrace. You should be able to grab a table without ordering food or drinks. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t order food or drinks, because no one wants to study hungry or thirsty. Just be aware that you may not be able to bring a bag into the Uffizi, so it’s best to cut back on the books you bring and carry them with your arm. Also, check out the bathroom that you can be directed to from the gift shop. I’d give it the best bathroom in Florence award.

The Academia has some great, sun-lit benches in the corridor leading to the musical instruments gallery. However, if you’re able to focus like James Franco, there are plenty of benches in the corridor leading up to the David. Again, cut back on the books as bags might not be allowed.

Boboli Gardens are ideal for studying if this weather ever decides to improve. So if you find yourself under the sun and not a torrential downpour like last weeks tour group for “Florence of the Medici,” then snack attack the park and hit those books under the sun.

Palazzo Strozzi is pretty much open all of the day and located just west of Piazza della Repubblica. This is just your basic Renaissance palace with some tables and benches to study on. There’s a caffé if you get hungry and an exhibit, Americans in Florence for 10 euro, in case you get bored.

Caffé Letterario is open from 9:00am to 1:00am and located at Piazza delle Murate, just east of Santa Croce. In the medieval times, a convent was built with the hopes that it would one day be turned into a caffé and voilà! Because studying requires food and coffee, there’s plenty of that for a very cheap price, as well as free wifi. If the rain shows up, there are sofas and lounge-chairs inside. If it’s sunny, there are seats outside as well.